babiller

French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French babiller (“to stutter”), from a root *bab- (compare also Middle French baboyer (“to mumble”)), probably of Germanic origin, from Old Dutch *babōn, *babelōn (“to mumble, chatter, babble”), from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰa-bʰa-, *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”). Cognate with Dutch babben (“to babble”), Middle Dutch babbelen (“to babble”), German pappeln (“to stammer, babble”), Icelandic babba and babbla (“to babble”). More at babble.

Verb

babiller

1. to chat; to babble; to natter (to talk about insignificant things)

Conjugation

   Conjugation of babiller (see also Appendix:French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		babiller			avoir babillé
gerund		en babillant			en ayant babillé
present participle		babillant
past participle		babillé
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il	nous	vous	ils
simple tenses	present	babille	babilles	babille	babillons	babillez	babillent
	imperfect	babillais	babillais	babillait	babillions	babilliez	babillaient
	past historic1	babillai	babillas	babilla	babillâmes	babillâtes	babillèrent
	future	babillerai	babilleras	babillera	babillerons	babillerez	babilleront
	conditional	babillerais	babillerais	babillerait	babillerions	babilleriez	babilleraient
compound tenses	present perfect	Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	pluperfect	Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	past anterior1	Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	future perfect	Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	conditional perfect	Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il	que nous	que vous	qu’ils
simple tenses	present	babille	babilles	babille	babillions	babilliez	babillent
	imperfect1	babillasse	babillasses	babillât	babillassions	babillassiez	babillassent
compound tenses	past	Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
	pluperfect1	Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
		—	babille	—	babillons	babillez	—
1literary tenses

Synonyms

• bavarder
• jaser
• jacasser

Derived terms

• babillage
• babillard
• babillement

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Old French

Verb

babiller

1. (often pejorative) to babble; to chatter; to natter

Conjugation

• Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

   Conjugation of babiller (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		babiller			avoir babillé, babillez
gerund		en babillant			Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle		babillant
past participle		babillé, babillez
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jeo, jou	tu	il	nos, nous	vos, vous	ils
simple tenses	present	babille	babilles	babille	babillons	babillez, babillés	babillent
	imperfect	babilloe, babilleie, babilloie	babilloes, babilleies, babilloies	babillot, babilleit, babilloit	babillions, babilliions	babilliez, babilliiez	babilloent, babillient, babilloient
	past historic	babilla	babillas	babilla	babillames	babillastes	babillerent
	future	babillerai	babilleras	babillera	babillerons	babillerez, babillereiz	babilleront
	conditional	babilleroe, babillereie, babilleroie	babilleroes, babillereied, babilleroied	babillerot, babillereie, babilleroie	babillerions, babilleriions	babilleriez, babilleriiez	babilleroent, babillereient, babilleroient
compound tenses	present perfect	Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	pluperfect	Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	past anterior	Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	future perfect	Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
	conditional perfect	Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive		que jeo, jou	que tu	qu’il	que nos, nous	que vos, vous	qu’ils
simple tenses	present	babille	babilles	babille	babillons	babillez	babillent
	imperfect	babillasse	babillasses	babillast	babillissons	babillissez, babillissiez	babillassent
compound tenses	past	Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
	pluperfect	Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos, nous	vos, vous	–
		—	babille	—	babillons	babillez	—

Descendants

• French: babiller

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881)